Various people surrounded the parade field at the fairgrounds. The center of the area was open before the grandstand on the east side.

A few people were upon the grandstand and were giving orders to the runners who came to see them before they ran away again or sat down on an extended bench, waiting for the next message. That had to be the councilmen who managed the festival. A few of them wore purple sashes across their shoulders, marking them as Kingdom Mages. All Kingdom Mages are required to wear the sashes as a matter of rank. The older man with the darkest purple and gold trim sash was likely the most powerful of the mages here. Non-mages can hold any position in the Kingdom as well. All posts were awarded based on testing and merit. They could not be merely given to an heir or even elected as in other countries.

On the near south end were open pits with cooking fires and even some temporary stone ovens, the smells of the cooking food were making me very hungry. The grand tents in front of the cooking areas shaded hundreds of tables and benches. A good number of people were already eating and drinking there.

Merchant tents covered the back of the parade ground. The tents of all sizes and colors stood in neat rows. Most of the tents are square or long. Others are foreign-looking, tall round tents with flags of very bright colors. Many of the tents have banners with Family or Kingdom coats of arms displayed. Noble merchants generally sold expensive items like jewelry, armor, and weapons. Many specialized in magical items of various types and lesser powers. More valuable magical things are often at the Capital's Mid-Summer Festival. In part because long-standing noble families were rare, as a child or another relative of substantial merit were required to continue such a family line.

At the far north end of the parade ground, the tallest tent stood nearly alone. It was of a rich purple with golden trim. It marked the location of the Kingdom's Mages, here for the annual testing of the people.

By kingdom law, every child must test after they learn to read and write from the Kingdom Primer.

Callie was nine summers old when she tested. Some kids test when they are five summers, but most children take the test when they are six summers old.

The line outside the tent was growing, and not with just parents and kids. Older teenagers and adults who hoped to pass when tested again were there as well.

Everyone that wants can take the Mage test each summer. Sometimes the older people pass the test, but not often.

Becoming a Kingdom Mage gained each person a minor noble title to go with the service to the Kingdom each would be required to provide.

You could be a Mage not in service to the Kingdom, but not until you provided service or gold enough to cover the cost of your training. Because the price was quite high, few left the Kingdom's service, even after the mandatory years.

On either side of the Mage's tent were the Kingdom Army and Kingdom Navy tents, where one could enter the service of the Kingdom as a soldier or marine. A fourth tent represented the Kingdom's City Guards, which served all villages, towns, cities.

By King Hamilton's Decree, no matter where you go in the Kingdom, all guards must have the same in training, just as the mages, army, and navy services. Not only that, but the guards did not just serve the city they were in, they served the Kingdom. All services magically swore loyalty to the Kingdom, never just to the regions, cities, nobles, or the like. It was made this way after the ending of the last civil wars in the early years of our nation. Also, all Kingdom guards, soldiers, and marines were always changing posts every five years.

As we circled the festival in the beautiful carriage, Callie demanded that we stop at the market tents so Mother could buy her a new dress.

Mother sighed, "Callie, we had an agreement about your behavior, which you have broken many times. You will not be getting a new dress or anything else this year, and you know it."

Callie's face grew angry, and she was about to scream something at her mother when her father smacked her hand hard enough to make her yelp in surprise instead.

Father's tone was sharp but quiet enough for only the family to hear, "You will behave, or we will send you directly to Aunt Harker to wash dishes for the rest of the day! We just passed her cooking area, and it is already hectic, so do not anger us again."

Jean and I both kept looking at the merchant stalls and not saying a thing.

Sam turned the carriage into a space in the corner between the noble and the kingdom tents.

Mother looked at father with concern, "This spot is surely too expensive for us."

Father smiled, "It will be worth it this year, you'll see."

The carriage stopped, and we got down so father and Sam could set up its display after unhooking Sparrow from it. Mother handed over a sign of matching black and silver after Sam drove a pole into the ground. "Wainwright Perrin Presents Custom Carriages and Wagons"

Father put a small nail in the top of the front wheel facing the grandstand to hang a little sign that amazed me. "Hartson Noble Carriage" was written in bold, silver letters on a glossy black background, just like the carriage.

Callie could not keep quiet about this, "Mother, father has never named a carriage after me!"

Father coldly looked at her, "If you work hard, helping me build a special carriage like your brother has, I will."

"That's not fair!" Callie growled before giving me a very hard shove to the ground.

At that moment, I heard Callie give a yell. Callie had gone too far for father today. Father grabbed Callie's arm and was dragging her away from the parade ground, directly toward a small cluster of trees. Father rarely punished us, but I am sure Callie was about to get the harshest punishment he had ever given.

Turning from the scene caused by Callie, Mother's voice was sad when she spoke to us. "Hartson, Jean, we're going to the Mage's tent. It's time for Jean's test."

Before turning to follow mother, I sadly watched as father ripped a thin branch off a tree and stripped it of leaves and smaller branches, making a switch. He did this while firmly holding Callie, who was crying and struggling to get free.

Mother turned me about, and the words she had just spoken caught up to me. As we began to walk, I had to beg, "Please, Mother, let me take the test."